The documentary marks the king’s latest effort to spotlight environmental and social causes he has championed for decades, coming as he attempts to shift public focus back to issues he hopes will define his legacy.
King Charles III has released a documentary explaining his vision for addressing climate change through the concept of “harmony” — the idea that restoring balance between humans and nature is essential to solving global problems.
“Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision” debuts on Amazon Prime on Feb. 6, with Kate Winslet narrating and featuring experts including Tony Juniper, former head of Friends of the Earth in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Emily Shuckburgh, a University of Cambridge climate scientist.
The documentary comes as the king attempts to shift public focus back to environmental and social causes he has championed for decades. It marks his latest effort to define his legacy following his cancer diagnosis in early 2024, family tensions, and other recent challenges.
The ‘harmony’ philosophy
The documentary explores Charles’ concept of “harmony” — the idea that humans must recognize they are part of nature rather than separate from it. Juniper told the Associated Press that people rush through modern life in air-conditioned offices and then drive to the supermarket for plastic-wrapped food, losing sight of the natural cycles that still govern human society.
“All of that is reversible, all of that fixable,” Juniper said. “But it’s going to require more of us to understand that we are not outside nature, we are in it.”
Charles said in a trailer for the film: “I think we need to follow harmony if we are going to ensure that this planet can support so many. It’s unlikely there’s anywhere else.”
The king believes that climate change, urban planning, sustainable agriculture, traditional crafts and fostering understanding between religions are inter-related issues that must be dealt with together to create more liveable communities.
A long track record
The documentary is not Charles’ first venture into these themes. He gave his first speech on the environment in February 1970, when he was 21 and a student at Cambridge. In 2010, he wrote the book “Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World” with Juniper and Ian Skelly, a former BBC presenter.
In 1990, Charles founded Dumfries House, the flagship project of the King’s Foundation, to promote sustainable agriculture, traditional arts and crafts, health and well-being. The house and its surrounding 2,000-acre estate in southwestern Scotland operate as a laboratory for the philosophy of harmony, offering courses that teach the principles of nature to students preparing for careers on farms, in hotels, and on construction sites.
Addressing the critics
The documentary confronts long-standing criticism that Charles is a dilettante flitting aimlessly from one cause to another. By connecting his various environmental and social interests, the film argues that his work reflects a coherent philosophical framework rather than scattered pursuits.
Ed Owens, author of “After Elizabeth: Can the Monarchy Save Itself?,” said the documentary represents “a very deliberate attempt to rebrand monarchy after a couple of very difficult years” — referring to Charles’ cancer diagnosis in early 2024 and ongoing tensions with his younger son, Prince Harry, as well as scandals surrounding his brother Andrew’s links to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
With Charles apparently past the worst of his cancer treatment and Andrew stripped of his titles, the timing may serve a strategic purpose. But the king’s long history of environmental advocacy predates any recent rebranding effort.
A message of hope
Emily Shuckburgh, who collaborated with the king on a children’s book about climate change, said the documentary offers a hopeful vision for addressing the challenges facing the world.
“It feels as though we’re living through difficult times,” said Shuckburgh, director of Cambridge Zero, the university’s effort to address the climate crisis. “Having something that provides that sense of hope and optimism is really, really important.”